Copyright postandcourier
Like pumpkins, chrysanthemums (mums for short) are a part of fall. Three types of mums are useful fall bloomers for different reasons. ‘Point Pelee’ mum Many modern hybrid mums were bred by crossing Chrysanthemum indicum with other Chrysanthemum species. With the new cultivar “Point Pelee,” C. indicum now has a chance to shine on its own. Point Pelee took Charleston “by storm” in fall 2023 when it was marketed everywhere from garden centers to local grocery stores. And with good reason. Its eye-catching flowers are red, orange and yellow with shades of gold and rust. Point Pelee mums are named after Point Pelee, Ontario, the southernmost tip of Canada. The reds and yellows of its famous fall foliage are reproduced in the vibrant, multicolored mum flowers. These mums were bred and selected to look stunning both outside and indoors as living fall decorations and table centerpieces. Point Pelee mums are tougher than they look. If their soil dries out to the point where the leaves wilt, they will quickly rebound when watered. (Don’t try this at home.) Even better than the stunning flowers is the plant’s ability to rebloom multiple times. My first plant bloomed outdoors from October 2023 when I bought it until the following June — an amazing feat for a chrysanthemum. Like “Hot Lips” salvia, which has more white than red flowers in summer, Point Pelee flowers shift color in the heat, becoming more yellow than red. They still have their characteristic striping in shades of yellow and gold. Flowering stops during the long days of summer. Just when I was considering whether to discard the lanky remains, buds appeared at the end of September 2024. I decided the plant was a keeper and planted three pieces in a backyard bed in early spring 2025. They bloomed in May and June and now have new tiny buds.
